What if classic Disney movies had a modern social message?

Pretty much everyone loves a good Disney classic. But what if we shoehorned in some commentary about contemporary society?

Okay, that would probably be a terrible idea. The last thing we need from Disney is some kind of ideological indoctrination for our kids – although arguably, it’s already there in their movies if you know how to look for it.

Still, it is fun to imagine how much worse classic Disney movies would become if we tried to turn them into cheesy “movie with a message” kind of movies.

For example, consider The Jungle Book. A great film about a young boy finding out that he must leave behind everything he knows and loves, because he is destined to become a regular adult human.

Sure, it’s already a thinly-veiled coming of age story. But what if we tried to turn it into a ham-fisted allegory about human exploitation of animals? We’re thinking along the lines of Netflix’s recent movie Okja, about a girl whose massive animal friend gets stolen by a greedy corporation.

It might look something like this:

Or what if we wanted Peter Pan to offer some heavy-handed commentary on the pervasiveness of the encroaching surveillance state? That would be fun for the kids, right?

But it might put a stop to the movie pretty early on though, judging by this image:

If there’s a Disney movie that definitely doesn’t need to be made any more depressing, it’s Dumbo, which is already traumatic enough for young kids.

But couldn’t we shake it up a bit by inserting a critique of the ivory trade? Don’t worry; Ward already thought of that:

These are pretty hilarious, if a little bleak. It’s not clear if Tom Ward is actually making fun of the dreariness of contemporary message movies, or if it’s more of a sincere statement on his part, but either way it’s a fun lens through which to view these pieces.